Most of them are held at Christmas Island, an Australian territory off the north-west coast.

大部分在澳大利亚西北海岸的圣诞岛就已经被拦截了。

youdao

Christmas Island is closer to Java than to mainland Australia.

圣诞岛更靠近瓜哇岛，而不是澳洲大陆。

youdao

Australian navy and customs ships have intercepted previous boats, transferring many of their occupants to Christmas Island.

澳大利亚海军、海关的船只在中途截取了早前的那些避难船只，将其转移到圣诞岛上。

youdao

Officials say it took staff on Christmas Island about half-an-hour to regain control.

VOA: standard.2009.11.24

Christmas Island - which lies about 2, 600km (1, 600 miles) from Australia but only 300km south of Indonesia - is often targeted because it is the closest piece of Australian territory to Indonesia.

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Swimmers on Coney Island, identical twins at a Christmas party for twins and triplets, ageing fur-coated women on buses or smoking at diner counters were caught at awkward moments, all revealing more about themselves than they might wish.

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Christmas Island's 1, 400 residents are outnumbered by more than 2, 700 asylum-seekers housed in a centre for boat people who have been intercepted on their way to Australia.

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